Study finds parental support for flu shots in schools

Brown School survey among the first of its kind to tackle school-administered vaccinations

Half of parents in the United States would consent to have their children receive the flu vaccine in school, according to a survey from the Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis. It is among the first to provide national data on parent preferences on school-administered flu shots.

Brown

“This study shows the potential to use schools for large-scale influenza vaccination programs in the U.S.,” said Derek S. Brown, PhD, assistant professor at the Brown School and lead author of the study. Brown is also a faculty scholar of WUSTL’s Institute for Public Health.

Researchers conducted a nationally representative online survey of 1,088 parents of school-aged children. Among the 51 percent of parents who said they would consent to a flu vaccine at school, convenience was a primary reason; their regular location was preferred in case of side effects and for proper administration of the vaccine. The survey found that 17 percent would not consent, while 32 percent weren’t sure.

Parents with college degrees and parents of uninsured children were more likely to consent. Parents cited concerns about vaccine safety among reasons not to consent.

The study was published the February issue of Vaccine. To read more, visit here.